NY Jets: Remembering each member of the New York Sack Exchange

Marty Lyons, DT, NY Jets

Marty Lyons was selected by the NY Jets in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played his college football at the University of Alabama under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Lyons was the only member of the Sack Exchange to be drafted in the first round.

Lyons earned Consensus First Team All-American honors and was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 1978. He compiled 202 tackles and 20 sacks for the Crimson Tide and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Given his success at Alabama, Lyons' arrival to the Jets was met with great expectations. He would prove to be a very solid player for the team and, like Salaam, was viewed as a guy who was tough in the trenches and a dominant run-stopper.

Marty Lyons was selected to the Pro Bowl twice and during his tenure with the team, he helped lead the Jets to the playoffs four times. In seven playoff games, Lyons registered six sacks as well.

Off the field, Lyons was very well respected and, in 1984, was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year. In 2013, he was inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor and has been part of the Jets radio broadcast team since 2002.

Marty Lyons remains an active presence for the Jets and continues to represent the team in an exceptional manner. He has been running The Marty Lyons Foundation for 27 years and the organization has granted over 6,000 wishes for terminally ill children.